Not Exactly as Planned
by Astra H. Lowelle
Summary: Scorpius meant to tell his dad. Really, he did. Except things didn't exactly go the way he wanted them to.
1. Chapter 1

Bouncing and rattling its occupants, the Hogwarts Express slowly pulled out of Hogsmeade station. Inside, the Hogwarts students were chattering away, eagerly trying to pack in as much as they could before saying goodbye to each other for the summer.

In a compartment three-quarters of the way back on the train, Albus Potter was sitting with his brother James, his sister Lily, his cousin Rose Weasley, and his friend Scorpius Malfoy.

"What a year," Albus said wistfully as the trees rolled past. "What a year it was."

James laughed. "Yeah, your year was pretty stupendous. Detentions every other week, about three hundred house points lost at various intervals, removal of privileges for a month after you socked that Cygnus Bulstrode bloke in the nose-"

"He was beating Hugo up!" Albus defended himself. "He had it coming!"

"Yeah, well, you had it coming when McGonagall found you," Scorpius said reasonably from his window seat, one arm thrown casually over Rose's shoulder. Rose grinned.

"And she was pretty pleased with me the next day when I gave Bulstrode a good hex up the-"

"The food's here!" James announced loudly, throwing open the door to admit not the food cart, but a friend of his, Tricia Bell. James went pink. "Oh. Not the food."

"Hey, James, want to come down to the front?" Tricia asked, grabbing James' arm and pulling him out of his seat. "Horace Wood and the others are there, too."

"Sounds nice," James smiled sheepishly. "I'll come. Al?"

"Nah, you go ahead," Albus granted, waving an arm in dismissal. "We'll have to continue without you. Go have your fun."

"Can _I_ come?" Lily asked excitedly. Tricia nodded, smiling. His blush deepening, James departed with Lily swinging off one arm.

"You've got to get yourself a girlfriend, Al," Scorpius said lazily, tightening his hold on Rose, who whacked him lightly.

"Shut up, Scorpius, or your daddy _will_ hear about this," Albus shot back, grinning. Scorpius went pale and stiffened.

"I'm going to tell him, okay? I just hadn't- got around to it yet."

"Does Uncle Ron know?" Albus asked Rose, who shook her head, looking shifty.

"Um, no, but I plan to tell him as soon as we get home. When Hugo's not around and Mum has a tranquilizer gun handy."

"Good plan," Scorpius murmured, giving her a light peck on the cheek. "Maybe I'll do that."

Rose whacked him again.

The three sat in silence for a bit, until Hugo, Rose's younger brother, popped in and asked whether anyone wanted to play Exploding Snap. Several packs and a couple of singed eyebrows later, the food trolley arrived, upon which Hugo apologized and said he wanted to get some Cauldron Cakes back to his friends down the train. Albus bought his usual five packs of Bertie Bott's Every-Flavor Beans, Scorpius got his usual Licorice Whips, and Rose purchased a few Chocolate Frogs.

Later, several hours in, Albus sat amusing himself with Rose's Chocolate Frog cards. Scorpius had taken out a book, and Rose was dozing lightly on Scorpius's shoulder. Albus smiled at the two. They were so perfect together...

He only wondered what Uncle Ron and Scorpius's dad would think.

His legs beginning to cramp, Albus decided to take a turn down the train to see what James was doing. He found his brother and sister seated amid a mound of candy wrappers, reminiscing about the finer points of Quidditch with Horace Wood, Tricia Bell, and André Spinnet. Horace grinned at Albus.

"What d'you know! The esteemed Slytherin Seeker himself has come to grace your presence! But he's a brother of our even-more-esteemed Beater, so sit down, Al, and we won't jinx you."

Albus grinned as he sat down with the others, Lily depositing herself in the seat beside him. André passed him a Frog, and Albus decided Scorpius and Rose could use a little privacy anyway.


	2. Chapter 2

As the train pulled into King's Cross Station, Ron and Hermione Weasley got out of their car, waving to Harry and Ginny Potter.

"Oi! Over here!"

The Potters jogged up to them. "Hey, Ron," Ginny greeted her brother. "Hi, Hermione."

"Hello, Ginny," Hermione smiled, pulling the younger woman into a quick hug. "Got your kids yet?"

"No, we just got here," Ginny replied, scanning the station. "Have you seen them?"

"Dad!" came an excited yell from right behind her. "Mum!"

Albus Potter barreled into his father, knocking him backward several steps. James hurried up behind him, beaming. "Hi, Dad. Hi, Mum. Did you miss me?"

"Always," Ginny said warmly, pulling her elder son into a hug. James fake-gagged and wriggled free. Lily came panting up behind him, and seized her mother in a hug. "Mum! I missed you so much!"

"At least _someone's_ glad to see me," Ginny grinned. Harry checked his watch.

"Hate to do this, Ron, Hermione, but we've really got to dash. See you at the Burrow later?"

"Sounds good," Hermione nodded as Hugo came up to her. "Hugo, come to the car with me for a moment. I need to talk to you about a letter I received from the Headmistress. Ron, when Rose comes, come to the car, all right?"

"See you soon," Ron called as his wife and son disappeared into the crush of people. He scanned the crowd. Where _was_ Rose?

Several Rose-free minutes later, Ron was starting to get nervous.

"Where is she?" he muttered as he tried to make his way through the throng. He turned his head. "Rosie?" he called.

Someone collided with him. Ron almost fell. "What the-"

"Sorry," Draco Malfoy apologized, straightened his robes. "I didn't- Oh. Weasley."

"Malfoy," Ron retorted. "What's the big idea?"

"Have you seen my son anywhere?" Draco asked tensely, completely ignoring Ron's statement. "I can't find him anywhere."

"Haven't seen him," Ron replied. "Erm- have you seen my Rose?"

"No," Draco said slowly. "Have you checked the train? I was just about to whe-"

"No, I haven't. I'll do that, though."

"Good."

The two set off, fighting the push of people going in the opposite direction. They boarded the train, each looking into compartments on either side, with no success.

"Where is he?" Draco kept muttering. Ron was about to tell him to knock it off when he remembered that Scorpius was an only child.

"He'll turn up," he offered. "Probably just with friends, or sleeping, or… something."

Draco didn't respond. Ron shrugged, and then pushed open the door to the next train car.


	3. Chapter 3

A great rattling and jolting woke Scorpius from a light doze. Rose's head was still lolling on his shoulder, her neck at a rather awkward angle. Scorpius straightened it gently.

"Rose?" he whispered. "We're here."

Rose did not stir.

"Rose, c'mon." He shook her lightly. "We're at the platform. Wakey-wakey."

Rose did not wake-wakey.

Scorpius sighed, more out of affection than exasperation. Rose was Rose, after all.

He was about to shake her again when he heard something that made him freeze- footsteps.

Coming closer and closer.

And voices- two of them, men's voices, one of whom he recognized very well.

"Oh no," he muttered. He shook Rose frantically. "No no _no!"_

And then the door swung open.

" _Scorpius!"_

Draco's face was ashen. "Where- what- _who is that?_ "

Ron stuck his head in. _"Rosie?"_

Scorpius's heart began to pound. He instinctively tightened his arms around Rose, as if to protect her from the fathers' wrath.

"Father, I-"

"What are you _doing_?" Ron spluttered furiously at Scorpius. He spun, fixing Draco with a look that could have frozen an active volcano. _"Did you know about this?"_

" _No!"_ The look in Draco's eye spelled murder. "And don't you _dare_ speak to my son that way!"

"I'll speak to him however I please, you sodding git!"

Rose's eyelids fluttered. "Wha- are we there yet?" she asked sleepily, looking up at Scorpius's white face. Her eyes shifted to her father's furious face, and then to Draco's equally angry one.

"Oh."

" _Oh_ is right, young lady," Ron seethed. "Get up. Mum's waiting in the car. We are going to have a very long talk about when we get home, believe me."

With a sigh, Rose got to her feet. Ron seized her boy the hand and led her from the compartment.

There was a very awkward silence.

"I don't want to hear it," Draco said wearily, as Scorpius opened his mouth. "You can tell me later. And your explanation had better be exceptional."


End file.
